Stuck in a Sun Ray
by RinnySega
Summary: Vendetta is miserable on the hottest day of August, but Charlotte may have an idea to help her cool off.


The heat wave was unbearable in Clamburg that August, especially considering the town had a reputation of maintaining a steady, even temperature all year round. But with the coming of a late summer that promised a potential, although dismal autumn, ten year old Vendetta had no choice but to keep indoors and inside a tub of iced water to stay cool. Well, as cool as her hamster could make it.

"More ice cubes, stupid hamster," she demanded, her arms draped across the rag on her forehead. "I feel like I am simmering soup in this water."

The animal grunted as he placed more plastic bags of half melted ice into the tub, although it didn't take long until those followed suit of the others, much to the little girl's dismay as it appeared to be the last bag he brought from the store.

"You are useless, hamster. Go fetch more ice for my bath, and make it quick before I boil into stew. Stupid hamster."

With a simple nod, Grudge made his way out of the house and pushed an old, rickety wheelbarrow to the local grocer, leaving the girl alone in her house. Vendetta sighed when he was out of sight and sank lower into the water, watching the bubbles rise to the surface from where she growled beneath the waves. "I must find a way to make the sun go away," she said beneath the water. "Perhaps a fiend to block the rays…"

"Hi, Vendetta!" she heard outside her window. "Tee hee!"

She gasped, almost choking on the water she inhaled as she coughed over the rim of the tub and looked out the window. She gasped in horror as Charlotte, that annoying blue girl from school, stood out below on her lawn, dawning a poke-a-dotted swim suit and an inflatable unicorn inner tube.

Charlotte smiled when she saw her friend. "I knew you were up there," she said. "I heard you talking about stew!" She dropped a snorkel and mask over her face. "Want to go swimming at the lake with me?"

"No," she shouted down to her, "I do not wish to swim in a hot lake, in this horrible weather, with annoying blue girls like you. Now go away!"

"But Vendetta, swimming is a great way to cool off when it's hot outside!"

"Maybe for you, but I am staying inside!" And with that, she slammed the window shut. Charlotte lifted her mask and frowned.

"Mmm…Vendetta must not like swimming…Ooh," she said with a pep in her voice, "I know what might work. Hang on Vendetta, I have a plan! Tee hee." And with that, she skipped off down the way toward her home.

Vendetta sank back into the water as soon as she shut the window, cupping her hands over her stomach as the water boiled with her anger. "Yes," she mused to herself, "I will make a fiend. A fiend that will block out the sun and destroy Charlotte. Heh heh…Hamster!" she snapped upon the animal's return, "Grab my towel and take me downstairs. I have much planning to do…"

* * *

Charlotte hummed on her couch as she flipped through her magazines, Buttons and Buttons Two both lying on the floor beneath the ceiling fan, their tongues out as they panted in the searing heat. "Ooh," the girl sounded as she turned one of the pages, "Looks like blueberries are the in-color this season." Her doorbell rang. "Ooh, I wonder who that could be."

Vendetta stood outside Charlotte's front door with a box in hand and her hamster standing behind, holding an umbrella above her head to keep her shaded. She smirked and narrowed her eyes on the door with a snarl. "When Charlotte opens this box, hamster, we must get out of the way. My fiend will jump into the sky, turning into a giant shield with a teeny, tiny magnifying glass in the center. All of the sun's rays will compact into a single point and land directly onto Charlotte. She will burn to a crisp like a little, foolish ant."

"Mmm," Grudge commented as the knob turned.

"Hello?" Charlotte asked as she opened the door. "Ooh, hi Vendetta. Did you change your mind about going to the lake?"

"Uh, yes, I have. But before we go, I want to show you my new…uh, my new…bathing suit to see what you think of it. It is here, in this box, that you will now open here on your porch." She shoved it into her hands and backed away a few steps. "Go ahead and open it."

"Mmmm….maybe later." She set the box down at her feet. "I have a surprise for you but it's not ready yet. Stay here; I'll be right back."

"No, wai-" but Charlotte had already shut the door. Vendetta fumed, her face turning a darker shade of blush with her anger. "How dare she deny my fiend in such a way? Hamster!" She turned round. "Break her windows and take me inside."

"Mmm," he obeyed.

Charlotte hummed a tune as she made her grandma's bed, un-phased by the breaking of glass when the window shattered behind her and Vendetta appeared in the room with Grudge cradling her in his arms.

"You!" she shouted at the other, jumping down on her feet. "I demand you open my box and unleash my fiend—I-I mean my bathing suit. Right this minute."

"Vendetta, you're just in time," she piped up. "It's all finished, see? Tada!" She stepped aside and showcased the freshly made bedding, its sheets crisp and pristine on the old-fashioned queen-sized bed. Vendetta scowled, storming over toward her.

"This is not a surprise. This is a bed. Stupid blue girl. Now stop wasting my time and open my box to see my fie-"

"Just try it, Vendetta," the other suggested, taking her hand. "You won't be sorry."

"Unhand me!"

"Okay!" She danced over to the bed with her where she pushed her down onto the sheets, standing by for a first reaction.

Instead of screaming or getting angry, or having her hamster attack the poor girl, Vendetta did something even she herself thought was strange. She melted into the sheet, the cloth as cold as ice, and it soothed her aching body, all to her intrigue and surprise. "I…what is this?"

"I put the bed sheets in the freezer!" Charlotte sang. "It's my favorite way to stay cool indoors. Do you like it?"

"This is….this is….ahh…." She spread out and relaxed on the bed, her cheeks returning to their natural state of blissful green. "This…this is not so bad…Charlotte."

"Oh boy, I knew you'd like it." The mattress bounced where Charlotte plopped herself next to Vendetta, lying spread out on her back to let the ceiling fat hit the sweat beads on her face. "Now that we're cooling off, we can do anything we want. We can talk about football season, or list our favorite groceries to buy at the store, ooh, or we can pretend we're starfish before we get eaten by sea mammals! What do you want to do, Vendetta?"

She turned her head to the side for an answer, but she noticed soon after her friend had fallen asleep on the cold sheets. She smiled and rolled over, snuggling in beside her. "Or naps. Naps are always fun too."


End file.
